Editorial: As the Turks attack: 3 ways a Trump desertion of Kurdish allies would hurt America

Chicago Tribune

Friday

Oct 11, 2019 at 1:01 AM

Once again, President Donald Trump is showing his penchant for destroying trust in what has been a valued alliance.

For five years, Syrian Kurdish fighters have been doing much of America's dirty work in Syria. The Kurds have been dismantling the Islamic State militants' hold on what was their caliphate's capital, the city of Raqqa, and vast stretches of territory in the country's north. ISIS, as it's also known, is a shadow of its former self, and the Syrian Kurds have a lot to do with that.

Now, in a series of statements and tweets, Trump has imperiled the Syrian Kurds and their alliance with the U.S. Whatever decision he ultimately makes in this realm, his threat to desert the Kurds already has done serious damage. The backdrop:

Turkey, which accuses Syrian Kurdish fighters of being affiliated with a Kurdish terrorist organization, on Wednesday launched its planned offensive against the Kurds in Syria. Preceding this long-expected attack was Trump's phone call over the weekend with Turkey's leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which Trump said the U.S. would step aside. Afterward, Trump tweeted, "It is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home." Early Monday, dozens of American troops withdrew from Syrian Kurd-held areas, leaving those forces vulnerable to Turkey's vastly superior military machine.

Before Turkish forces do further damage, Trump should tell Erdogan to stand down — and cudgel Turkey's economy with sanctions if the Turkish leader doesn't acquiesce. With the offensive already underway, Trump on Wednesday told reporters, "I do agree on sanctions," without elaborating.

Halting the offensive is an immediate imperative. Longer term, if Trump continues to abandon the Kurds to Turkish assaults, he endangers not only the Kurds but also the U.S. and the rest of the West. How? Three ways come to mind:

Yes, Islamic State is down — but not out. The group has been carrying out guerrilla attacks in Syria and Iraq, rebuilding its financial channels and recruiting again, The New York Times reports. And, at least 10,000 Islamic State fighters are being held in prisons in Syria guarded by Syrian Kurdish forces. The Turkish offensive likely will draw those Kurdish forces away from the prisons and to the battlefield, allowing dangerous militants to escape.

Brett McGurk, Trump's envoy to the region who quit after the president's surprise order in December to withdraw 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, told the Times that Trump's latest move will "hasten ISIS's resurgence." That especially would imperil Western countries — this one included.

Aside from Turkey, the sordid trio of Vladimir Putin, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Bashar Assad would be the biggest winners if Trump abandons the Kurds. Assad would like an American foreign policy that forgets Syria exists. For the Kremlin, Syria represents a foothold in the Middle East to counter American influence in the region. Iran looks to Syria as a place to fine-tune its Shiite foreign fighter network, which it uses in proxy conflicts throughout the Middle East. If Trump washes his hands of Syria, these three will rejoice.

America's credibility as a partner, no matter the circumstance or hot spot, is at stake. The president already has strained ties between the U.S. and its trans-Atlantic partners. Washington will need allies large and, like the Kurds, relatively small when future conflicts emerge around the globe.

Turkey's attack on Syrian Kurdish forces began Wednesday with air strikes on Syrian Kurdish-held border towns. When a reporter Wednesday asked Trump if he was worried Erdogan would wipe out the Kurds, Trump responded, "I will wipe out his economy if that happens."

We don't know whether we're watching diplomacy or gamesmanship: Is Trump debating with himself in public about deserting U.S. allies? Or is talk of deserting the Kurds a phony ploy to flummox opponents who, right on cue, condemned his early comments. Some of his political foes who've urged fewer U.S. military missions overseas now are upset by his declared intent to have, yes, one less U.S. military mission overseas.

But that looming uncertainty is the point: Trump is forcing U.S. allies worldwide to ask whether they still can rely on America.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.